Kimler News

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Randsco Site Map

Again, this is something that I've been wanting to do for some time and I believe that a site map is necessary to help those people out that have a hard time figuring out what is what on our site. I'd like to think that our menu system is easy and will work, but some people just require a site map to figure it out. So ... here you go ... a site map. (It currently sucks, which is why it's shown as display:none!)

About the Kimlers

This is where visitors can find out about Randsco and the Kimler family. Who are we? How did we come to be? What motivates us on our adventures. It's kinda like the old "meet scott and rachel" section on our PCT WebPage, but this "about us" section will be a stand-alone page.

FEATURED DONOR: The "Red Dirt Emporium", located in the historic "Bricktown District" of Oklahoma City, made a donation toward - and is using - Photo-caption Zoom Version 3. The Red Dirt Emporium was founded in 2007 and has a goal of introducing visitors and locals to the best that Oklahoma has to offer. They specialize in Oklahoma resources, art, music and other items that celebrate Oklahoma

Since they are largely responsible for the "Thank You" section of our sidebar and this "Shout Outs" blog, it's fitting that one of the first shouts should go to Oklahoma's Red Dirt Emporium.

What's the story?

Simple.

The Red Dirt Emporium was one of the few companies (or people) that made an unsolicited donation for their commercial usage of the Photo-caption Zoom v3 technique.

Not only was their contribution unsolicited, but they didn't require any support to get it deployed.

One day, a donation email arrived and I thought, "Wow. Cool. I really should find a way to say 'Thank You' to them (and others who've helped Randsco) ... I know I've been meaning to ... I just need to DO IT!"

So, I made this section and (slowly) have begun populating it with some of the many people and companies that have - in some way - supported or helped Randsco. It's provides a formal way of saying "Thanks" and helps to promote their website (in a Search-Engine-friendly kind of way).

To learn how Oklahoma's Red Dirt Emporium is using Photo-caption Zoom and about some of their unique products, carry on ...

Woodshed Project (Day 1)

Randsco News

It takes time to create blog entries and not everything that happens, merits an entry. So, we've created this 'news' section, to keep readers up-to-date with our misadventures and accomplishments. Read about it here FIRST, before it makes it into a blog entry.

Hutton House - Reporters recently learned that construction crews are building a second woodshed on the Randsco campus. The news came as a surprise.

"We always knew we wanted a second woodshed," explains Scott Kimler, the construction foreman (the architect, purchasing agent and work crew), "We just didn't figure on building it right now."

Like many projects, this one was precipitated by "timing of events".

The Randsco pasture was piled high with wood milling debris when the Kimlers first took ownership of the 5-acre property. It's taken them four years to clear that debris and in the process, they were able to recycle a lot of the cedar wood, using it as kindling stock in their wood stove. (The last bit of the debris pile was cut into kindling stock just last weekend).

When Scott started moving the remainder of this wood and stacking it closer to the house, he thought, "A second woodshed would provide a much better storage option than this flimsy tarp."

Another project was born.

The building site selection process was easy: build the shed where the current - semi-dry - stack of kindling stock was sitting, next to the fence. "But what materials should I use?" Scott thought.

In an effort to keep the project scope, size and costs down, Scott decided to use 100% recycled building materials to construct a 10-foot long, 6-foot wide and 8-foot tall shed. (Our neighbor is a contractor and lets Scott pick through his building and remodeling "burn pile". Over the past 4 years, Scott has accumulated a fair bit of building materials. All hand-selected, moved, stacked, stored (somewhere). Lots of nail-pulling is involved, but recycling stuff is good for the environment, eh?)

Cedar 1x6 planks would be used to make an elevated wood floor that would rest on a sub-floor of 2x4s which would be supported by several large (8"x8") posts. The walls would be open - just 2x4 framing - and the roof would consist of a light-weight tarp. Simple, easy ... effective.

Scott is ambitious. He thought he could complete the project in a day and so, without the normal ribbon-cutting ceremony, he began work the very following morning.

The weather is always a factor here in British Columbia, but the day dawned dry, cold and clear. Temperatures remained below freezing all day, but it also remained sunny and bright.

With a steaming mug of hot coffee, Scott started the project at an acceptable hour - 9 AM. The first step was to move all of the semi-dry kindling stock, now stacked under a tarp. The 14x10 tarp had a few holes in it, but it looked like they could be repaired and used as the roof. After the building site was cleared, Scott grabbed a tape measure, to determine the exact location of the shed.

"Uh oh," he said, disappointed, "With the tree roots and such, there's no way I can fit a 10-foot shed into this space without it being cramped."

Stumbling block number one. What to do now?

"I know," thought Scott, "The fence takes an odd jog here. I could move the corner of the fence out a couple feet and there would be plenty of room. All I have to do is undo the welded wire mesh, dig up the corner post and push it out. No problem."

Once the corner post was out, the old fence disintegrated. Three posts needed replacing because they were rotten through at the base. It took Scott all morning to move, fix, tighten and repair the fence. The project didn't actually begin, until 1:30 PM. So much for getting it done in one day!

Scott pushed on, measuring and cutting 2x4s for the sub-floor. He framed the 10-foot by 6-foot sub-floor and screwed it to six 8x8 posts. For expediency, the 8x8 posts were set on the ground. No post-holes, no concrete piers. This will hugely reduce the life of the shed, but Scott was looking 5 years down the road, not 50.